Edward Arthur Wilson (March 4, 1886 – October 2, 1970) was an American illustrator, printmaker and commercial artist best known for his book and magazine illustrations.
Early life
Wilson was born on March 4, 1886, in Glasgow, Scotland;[1] one of two sons born to Edward J. Wilson and Euphemia E. Murray.[2][3] In 1893, the family emigrated to the United States and by no later than 1900, the family had settled in Chicago.[2] Edward attended the Art Institute of Chicago, and later studied with illustrator Howard Pyle.[1][4]
Career
In 1921, Wilson designed the cover for William McFee's An Engineer's Notebook. His first full-length project was Iron Men and Wooden Ships (1924), a collection of sailor shanties edited by author and bookseller Frank Shay. Over the next two decades, Wilson illustrated many classic novels, including Robinson Crusoe (1930), The Man Without a Country (1936), Treasure Island (1941), and Jane Eyre (1944). Later, he produced illustrations for magazines and a number of World War II propaganda posters; a number of these are included in Thomas Craven's The Book of Edward A. Wilson (1948).[5] In 1945, Wilson's work was featured in Life Magazine.[1][6]
Personal life
Wilson was married to Jane Roe and they had two daughters, one of whom was the actress Perry Wilson.[1]
Death
On October 2, 1970, after a long struggle with an undisclosed illness, Wilson died at the age of 84 in Dobbs Ferry.
Works
Books
Shay, Frank, ed. Iron Men and Wooden Ships. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page & Company.
^"Illinois, Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7HL-2PV : 10 March 2018), Edward J. Wilson in entry for Harold F. Wilson, 14 Apr 1894; citing e 18668 p 374, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 1,287,740.
^"Books and Authors". The New York Times. September 21, 1941 p. BR14. "The American Artists Group, 106 7th Avenue, New York City, is bringing out a boxed set of ten little gift books. Four are for children; [...] The other six include [...] 'Blow High, Blow Low,' a collection of five sea chanties, illustrated by Edward Wilson, who also contributes a poem of his own... "